Word count: 4,418
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Since I just couldn't make Chidori work, so I decided to improvise and make a technique of my own. Kakashi's not the only prodigy. I will grasp the title of prodigy. It's such a nice alternative for the words 'smartass' and 'badass'.
When I grabbed the handle, the ground below the weapons unexpectedly exploded and crumbled. Two medium-sized craters replaced the solid ground. That took their attention, both suppressed the urge to wince at the small damage.
"Something wrong?" The clone asked.
She gritted her teeth and sent the clone a glare. Her hands positioned in the Seal of Confrontation. "Fire Release Stream!"
A large stream of fire erupted from her mouth and headed straight towards us. I felt my heart beating faster than usual and panicked. I materialised to avoid turning into dust and used the Substitution Technique to switch places with my clone. Tiger, Snake, Rat, Snake, Tiger. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Water gushed out of my mouth and rose around us my clone died and I felt a bit of hot air hit my skin; the water stopped. The technique just reminded me that in this group nobody's a "prodigy". But how dare she ruin my move?! It was the perfect time to go for the kill! I don't know how I'm thinking up all these killing methods in a few seconds, it's convenient but disturbing. The water rotated around us and the steam fogged our sight. I glanced at Sora only to see him shaking.
"Sora, what's wrong?"
"I hate water! Get it away!" He demanded, with a glare. He was sweating even though it was cold inside the wall. He "accidentally" placed a kunai to my throat the first time we met and now he's saying water scares him.
A huge amount of water splashed across the ground when I released my hold. I can be cruel if I want to but I can't do that now, this is the village of the Hidden Leaf, cruelty is only given to enemies and traitors. I heard a laugh; it sounded confident.
"What's wrong, scared of fire?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes," I simply answered.
"This is going to be a lot easier than I thought." she sneered, cracking her knuckles.
I huffed at her obnoxious behaviour. I did the hands signs for Lightning Release: Electric Transfer. I grabbed the kunai and charged for Shizuka once again.
"You're not getting away this time," I warned. Speaking never helped but in this case I felt the need to talk. This fight is taking too long, it needs to end.
She smirked and jumped back. Sora jumped, landing beside Shizuka. His doll-sized puppets closed in on the girl, trying to get as close as possible to the head. While Shizuka did the obvious, she punched the puppets and made them explode into bits. Sora furiously growled.
Mizuki then blocked me with his giant weapon. I sent electricity to the other kunai and electrified him. He gritted his teeth, preventing any sound to get out. A few seconds passed and he finally gave in to pain, he hissed and falled back. He stayed still, not daring to move a muscle; the electric shock made his hair puff up. We both stared, he couldn't temporarily move and I'm armed. I wasn't exactly in the better position, my lips are dry and I desperately need water, but on a scale I got the good end of the stick, or rope. I'm not backing down.
"Forfeit?" I asked. I gave the jonin holding the barrier a glance.
"Never," he said, clenching his fists.
He looked pathetic when he grabbed his giant kunai and makeshift umbrella handle, he glared.
"You will never win."
He raised the handle and I saw a string tying it to the umbrella top with seals. Shizuka, his partner, returned to his side, looking him over to check for any injuries. Sora appeared behind me with his tiny, broken Mokujin. It turned into ashes, it dropped to the ground, creating a small ash pile.
"I have an idea," Sora started in a low voice. He grabbed my shoulder and leaned in to make sure only me will be hearing it. "You go for the Taijutsu girl, use all your strongest long-range Ninjutsu. I'll go for the Kenjutsu guy with my puppets. We don't know much about each others' skill but we've clearly talked about the basics. Since there is no way of making them forfeit, we are going for the kill. Can you handle it?"
"Of course," I answered, confidently. Setting aside the change in Sora's voice. "Hold on, what if we're in a Genjutsu?" he didn't speak so I continued. "How do we know we're not in a Genjutsu, right now?" A fake made-up layer of chakra. It distorts reality, it distorts my reality.
Sora didn't move he was frozen, and everything else in the place. "I fell for it... shoot," ram "release!" The scene faded away.
I was now face down on the ground. Sora's a few feet away, fighting both of them.
"Why," Shizuka started, throwing a punch at the puppeteer. "won't you just give up?!" Shizuka finished.
Mizuki conjured hand signs then ended with tiger. "Fire Release: Mist Blaze Dance Technique!" A gas came out of Mizuki's mouth it fogged my vision and covered most of the area. I tried to breathe but it only caused me to cough; all I smelled was gasoline.
I tried to stand up but I was grabbed by the waist; thankfully, it was Sora. The smoke turned to fire and engulfed more than half of the clearing.
My heart pounded when the blaze came close to my face. In the middle of a panic attack, I conjured the hand signs for my strongest water technique.
"Sora let me go, I have a plan," as soon as Sora heard this he quickly dropped me and jumped away.
"Good luck!"
I nodded then did the snake hand sign. "Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" A great amount of water gushed out of my mouth, I felt my chakra draining. The flames died under the cold wave, Shizuka and Sora were both trapped. I rode the waves while they struggled to get out but nothing they do would work.
I made one clone, who headed for Shizuka, while I went underwater going for Mizuki.I remembered the eight points Kiri has taught me. The points where it would take seconds to finish the opponent. Heart, lungs, larynx, spine, liver, kidneys, jugular, and the subclavian artery. I used Tree Leaf Swarm, then without warning I slashed from below, giving him a few cuts near his chest, letting him live longer. He screamed loudly. With a kunai in hand, I slashed Mizuki's arm. He let out another guttural scream and clenched at his wound. The cut was deep, it might have reached the bones, but it didn't cut his arm off.
I glanced at the waters and saw my clone standing 8 feet away from Shizuka, listening to her talk.
"I want to win this, I need to win this; for my family. My parents, my grandmother and my little brother. I need to earn money for them, higher ranking more jobs, more jobs more money," she mumbled mostly to herself, with her purple bangs shadowing her eyes.
"There is no way I'm-" I moved swiftly and appeared before her, pressing a kunai into her gut.
"That's it," I said, the raging water distorted my voice. "No more of this 'mercy'. I will let children die, let them starve, kill civilians, let others die, kill a comrade and kick puppies if necessary." I told myself while the girl listened, horrified with my words. Although maybe not Kiiro; he's mine and I prefer to keep my belongings in perfect condition. I thought selfishly.
A hard metal was stuck in her stomach, she coughed out blood. "N-No..." her blood mixed with the water, but was quickly washed away by the rapids.
I looked at her furiously and continued. "A hard-hearted sociopath or a bloodthirsty psychopath, take your pick, this is my job and I want to keep it. If I start something I will always finish it. Killing doesn't give me satisfaction nor does it give me sadness, it's just how a ninja's profession works; this is how my life works. This is mine, all mine; to control, to change, to play with. It's mine and I'm not complaining," I leaned closer and whispered. "That speech about your family was completely unnecessary, a waste of my time."
I backed away and looked her straight in the eyes. My eyes held the gaze of an adult who didn't give a shit, I tried to shoot lasers with my eyes but the power of chakra is still way behind when it came to lasers. The look I had might make someone whimper, but all 'that' was given by a baby-faced 12-year old.
Her were wide in shock, tears falling down mixed with the blood that trickled down her mouth. "Y-y-you... w-w-who a-are y-ou?" she stopped and breathed out her last breath. She slumped over, lifeless.
I exhaled deeply, thanking whoever God was listening. The strongest attack in Konoha-nin's move set is the "speech of justice" or the "I speak the truth and you will totally believe me because I feel your pain speech"; I don't know! Call it whatever you want, but one thing's for sure it usually works on the "bad guys".
I allowed her corpse to fall, her body was carried by the raging water. I felt overjoyed, I felt relief. I want to laugh.
3rd Person's P.O.V.
What the heck? Mizuki thought when he heard fits of laughter enacting from the other side of the water trap. It sounded almost as if the person was intoxicated.
The water dropped, Mizuki fell to the muddy ground. His red shirt looked as if it was rolled in a pig pen. His arm still bled from the kunai that slashed his skin, bone deep.
"Takeshi-kun, are you okay?!" The dark-haired, puppeteer asked, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Are you alive?! I can't really check on you 'cause there's still water over there!"
Mizuki glared at him. The one named Sora wore a green top-half of a yukata with black pants. He also carried a backpack, which in Mizuki's mind, is filled with puppets and necessities.
The barrier dropped. "Shoot," he muttered. So, that's what the laugh is about; Shizuka forfeited. Damn it, Shizuka! You said you wouldn't budge!
"The winner of the match is Kinju Takeshi and Konohama Sora."
Mizuki gritted his teeth. "Shizuka, you lied!"
At the muddy side of the clearing, Takeshi sat on the wet ground with his shoulders shaking. He wanted to stop laughing, he's forcing himself to stop laughing, but the laugh was rubbed his eyes and stood up to walk towards the dead body. The ground squished every time his foot touched it. He crouched down and examined the corpse.
"Poor girl, still called a liar after dying for her friend," he wanted it to sound like an insult but his tone made him sound like a mindless kid poking at a dead body.
Sora, who seemingly fell for it jogged over to his partner and quickly pulled him aside, by the dry area.
"I'm sorry I left you in there. Now, because of me you had to kill someone," Sora apologised, with an exaggerated frown; almost a pout.
The jonin standing just ten feet away from the children, shivered. How can they possibly talk like that in the middle of 'this'? To his right, he saw the other kid, Mizuki, choke, his expression held horror. He was frozen, his light brown hair dripped with water and sweat.
"Shizuka didn't forfeit, she's dead... it's fine, it's fine, it's fine... it's not that I might never be able to take part in the exam, ever again. Hehe, no, I didn't fail, she failed," Mizuki repeated, burying his face in his hand.
The blue-haired jonin sighed in exasperation, not entirely coping the words.
"Listen up, kids," he started. To his surprise and horror they all turned their heads to him, faces blank and neutral. As if they were programmed to look that way. Kids in this exam are always creepy.
"Since Hito Shizuka is now... incapacitated, so the winning team has a choice to make," he pointed at Mizuki, who glared at his hands. "First option is to kill him and the second is to welcome him into your team. What will it be?" the jonin said quickly, he was getting a really, really bad vibe and he's not liking it. He just wants to get away from the kids.
Mizuki started to protest. "What kind of choice is that?! Ju-"
"We'll take him in," Takeshi said.
"Awesome," the jonin's voice cracked a bit, his face flushed in embarrassment. He placed his fingers beside his ears, as if to press something. A few moments later he sighed and complied to some unknown force, nodding his head as if he was talking to somebody. The jonin cleared his throat and faced the kids. "Anyway, now that you've won this round things should just flow smoothly."
"What?" Mizuki asked. He was still surprised with the Kinju's decision but now the jonin's words intrigued him even more.
True to his words the exam did go smoothly after the battle, but to the two original members of the group, Mizuki is a pain in the hyde. Takeshi decided to find all the guy's scrolls first in hopes that he will behave, but it didn't seem to work.
"We only have 2 days left," Mizuki said. "You two better look harder or else, we're all going down. We haven't even found any of the tests."
"The animals are working really hard," Takeshi says. "I'm sure we'll be out of here by tomorrow."
Mizuki rolled his eyes. "That better be a fact and not just some lousy estimate," he glared at Takeshi, but the latter just waved him off.
"Sure, whatever," Takeshi said, shooing him childishly.
When they found the tests Takeshi offered his help but Mizuki shoved him aside.
"What? You don't think I'm smart enough to figure this out on my own?"
When Takeshi reasoned that since they're in the same team they should be helping each other Mizuki replied, "I don't want your help, Kinju." This made Sora immediately place Mizuki in his radar.
Mizuki got on Sora's bad side and Takeshi was in the middle of it. Sora insisted it wasn't because of the teasing and the nickname, but Takeshi was sure as hell the puppet master was lying.
The entrance is empty. The team reached the exit with all their scrolls and the tests, which were hidden inside Mizuki's umbrella for safe keeping.
"Hm... so you were right," Mizuki sneered. Sora glared at him, he didn't falter and instead Mizuki glared back.
"Shut your mouth or I'll feed you to the 'bear'," Sora warned.
Mizuki's mouth twisted to a smirk. He balanced the umbrella on his shoulder. "I already killed the 'bear', taicho."
At the entrance, they weren't the first ones to arrive. The blonde, sword-weilder and the orange-haired girl. She frowned at her broken bow. Her partner placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It's fine, we won."
He cast a glance at Takeshi, greeting him with a nod. Takeshi didn't know the guy but he nodded back nonetheless. It's best to just go with it.
Takeshi looked around and noticed it was just the five of them. No Hokage, no Orochimaru and no jonin.
"Sora, no one besides us and the two over there are here."
"Wow, like we haven't figured that out," Mizuki said.
"Kazuya Mizuki, if you insult this kid one more time and you'll end up like Hito," Sora warned.
"Oh really?" says Mizuki. He took a step closer to Sora. "Last time I checked you stood there doing nothing."
"That's not true," Takeshi snapped. "He defended me when I fell into your trap."
Mizuki gave him a lazy look, slouching his shoulder. "He did a really sloppy job."
They camped for the night.
~The Next Day
After more than an hour of waiting the Hokage arrived with his student. More people came in as well, one girl and two other boys. All the teams passed the sheet of paper and the scrolls, none of them were damaged.
"We thank you for your patience," Orochimaru started. "Unfortunately, we have some bad news."
Everybody tensed.
"This exam as you have been told is the 'Jonin Exams', correct?" Most people nodded but some glared, including Takeshi. "This is actually a test to decide if you are worth the title 'jonin'."
"But aren't they practically the same?" One asked.
"No," Orochimaru insisted. "This test measures if you are good enough to become a jonin, not to become a jonin. We don't know how you were trained, by doing this test we see what is important to each participant; we get to know your skills. Thankfully, only two of you died and one team forfeited."
Takeshi scanned Mizuki from the corner of his eyes and saw him, unfazed by the statement, whereas the boy with the chain stared angrily at the floor, likely blaming himself for the death of his teammate.
"So," Mizuki started. Unlike before he didn't look intimidated by Orochimaru, he instead looked like he wanted to shoot lasers at his head. "You mean to say, we did all this for nothing."
Orochimaru gave him an unerving smile.
"Not quite," the Hokage interjected. "Information on your progress is limited because you don't work with a jonin... most of you don't work with a jonin. This test is designed to make you look for three items. Do any of you know what those three items represent?"
Nobody answered. Takeshi had an idea, it's been bothering him for a while, and it seemed like a good guess, but you can never be sure. This is an exam to test the skills of chunin, to make sure they are "worthy", it's definitely not just something as simple as the overused, cheesy theme known as "teamwork". It wouldn't be a surprise if it was closely related to "teamwork" but it most definitely not just that.
"Tracking skills?"
"Teamwork?"
"Retrieving a lost 'comrade'?"
Hiruzen smiled. "Very close, but still... not quite. Think about it, what do most jonin have in common?"
"They are... all... very capable, unlike us?" a girl wearing a black battle kimono suggested.
The Hokage frowned. He didn't expect the answers to be this... bad. Maybe this was a mistake.
"They represent three genin?" Takeshi suggested.
Hiruzen mouth twitched as if to smile. "Jonin sensei are pretty common, becoming one of the them takes responsibility and care. If you damaged one scroll that's equal to one student injured. If you destroyed a scroll that's one child dead, all the weight of the guilt will forever be in your shoulders. As jonins you need to be capable of protecting not just yourselves, but also your team. Learn how to lead, learn how to cooperate."
Everybody took in everything the Hokage said and translated it into their own little version.
"Don't celebrate yet we still need to check your tests," Orochimaru said. "This exam, in other words, is just an evaluation test."
Takeshi's P.O.V.
Sora invited me to his house. Of course I refused but he's not the lookout so carrying me didn't affect him the slightest. His house scared me not because of the puppet guarding their front door, but because of the way his mother and father acted. They all looked the same dark black hair, brown eyes and even their skin tone. His parents were nice, too nice. Asking how the exam went and they even asked me to stay and rest.
So I made it my top priority to get out... right after I finished the plate of mochi.
I opened the door to my house and went straight to the bed. I lied there face down. The house needed to be cleaned but I decided to procrastinate, it's easier that way. That exam took a lot out of me, I don't even think I'd be able to wake up for a couple of days. I offered to be the look out every single night, I got through it, I didn't feel tired at all. It wasn't good for me I knew that much but I don't trust Sora, even if he was nice, the fact that he's a stranger doesn't change. I groaned through my pillow, feeling light-headed.
"Helloooo~," I heard someone call with a sing-song voice.
"Go away, Zetsu. I'm tired."
"I have good news."
"I don't care, go away."
The clay person didn't listen and continued to pester me. "I found a small, mercenary group called Konohama."
I raised my head and opened one eye to look at him. "And this 'group' should be in my radar because...?"
He grinned when he got my attention. I noticed spikes growing out of his side. "They're not well known, but they have headquarters near the border of Water and Fire. They own an island and the members look very familiar."
"Details then, Zetsu," I asked balancing on my arm.
He wiggle his finger and clicked his tongue. "No, no, Takeshi-chan. I'm not allowed to tell. Madara-sama wants you to figure this out."
"If you're not giving me details then why are you still here?"
"I'm here to give you a clue."
"Make it quick," I said and jabbed a thumb at myself. "This guy needs to hit the hay as soon as possible."
"You're not the only one who wants to obliterate Konoha."
"I don't want to obliterate Konoha. I only want to erase everything to start a new and normal life for everyone, and Uchiha-sama's plan is as close as I can get to something like that."
"If you say so, bye-bye~," he said as he disappeared into the ground.
"How was it? Did you get to kick some butt? Wow the exam must be really cool! Did you pass? What happened?" Obito asked with shotgun speed.
"It was fine Obito, as for the results I have no clue."
I swayed to the side. My eyes had bags in them but I shoved my sleepiness aside to go to the orphanage with Obito. I promised a certain Nohara my help and I'm doing it for her sake, she wouldn't be staying here for very long. But did she really have to die?
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
"Why do you always help Rin-chan?"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No," he looked away. "I get the feeling that you can't say no to her... she always hangs out with you."
I stopped in my tracks. I squinted my eyes at him then scratched my chin. He stopped as well and arched an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Are you jealous?"
He flushed, "Hell no!"
Up ahead the front door of Nono's orphanage was open. Obito and I glanced at each other and nodded. I fished for a kunai from my pouch and grabbed the handle. We cautiously walked in.
Obito stopped me when we heard voices murmuring from the dining area.
"Look he smiled!"
"All right everyone move along now give him some space."
I lowered my weapon. "I think they just forgot to open their door," Obito said. He glanced at me and saw my hand closing the pouch. "You took out a weapon already?"
"I'm sorry," I said.
He opened the door and saw children walking back to their seats to finish their lunches. One kid was having trouble getting up the chair. I walked to him and lifted him up. He bent his head to look at me, I had to push him away to avoid a headbutt.
"Hi, Takeshi-chan," he greeted.
"Hi," I replied, lowering him to the chair.
"Oh, so you're the reason why the front door was open," Obito said, looking at a little boy no older than five years old.
I walked over and pulled the idiot away. "Don't do that Obito, you'll startle him."
Nono and Rin smiled when they saw me. Nono walked over and ran a hand through my hair, "I'm glad to see you back here, Takeshi. How did the exam go?"
I held Obito by the collar to prevent his escape. "It was fine," I answered.
"Takeshi-kun, meet the newest member of the family," Rin said pushing the kid near me.
Rin always had this weird assumption that everybody in the orphanage is a part of a big family. She says since all the children here grew up together, then they should act like siblings and care for each other. I had nothing against that since Kakashi and I basically have the same ideology.
I released Obito to look at the kid. He had bandages wrapped around his head, he squinted his eyes at me.
"Hi, what's your name?" I asked, focusing mostly on his gray hair.
He gulped nervously then glanced at Nono. She returned it with a reassuring nod. His cheeks flushed when he said, "Kabuto."
"Hi, Kabuto... your name sounds familiar..." he fidgeted in response. "Don't worry, though, maybe its just my sleep induced self talking."
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In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.
~Ulysses S. Grant